NPFL Clubs, Fans, Others Condemn Hoodlums Attack On Sunshine Stars

NPFL Clubs, Fans, Others Condemn Hoodlums Attack On Sunshine Stars

Precious Oham

Football stakeholders, clubs and players in the country have condemned the suspected hoodlum's attack on the team bus of Sunshine Stars, BSNSports.com.ng reports. 

Recall that suspected hoodlums attacked the NPFL side along the Ore-Benin expressway to honour a game against Bendel Insurance, causing serious injuries to a Ball Boy and Team Manager. 

Chairman of the Club Owners Association of Nigeria, Okey Kpalukwu, described the incident as unfortunate.

He said: “The news of armed men attack on Sunshine Stars team came to me as shock, but we thank God that no life was lost. This has once again brought to the forefront the poor security situation in our country, and something has to be done urgently by our government, especially at this time of the year. Let’s pray for the quick recovery of those injured.

"One of the major reasons armed men find it easy to attack and kill innocent Nigerians on our roads is because they’re very bad. Our major roads are in deplorable conditions, which forces vehicles to move slowly on them. 

"Drivers are most times forced to a halt when navigating the very bad parts of our roads, and hoodlums take advantage of this to kill and maim innocent travellers. Let the government fix our roads to save lives."

In the same vein, the management of Rangers Int'l of Enugu prayed for a quick recovery of the affected officials. 

"The management, coaches, staff and players of Rangers International F.C. are touched by this sad incident that happened to our sister club, Sunshine Stars F.C. of Akure. May God send His miraculous healing to the shot official and other injured ones. The Lord is your strength."

Also, Sporting Lagos shared their thoughts: "We are deeply saddened to hear about the recent incident involving. Sunshine Stars. Our thoughts are with you, and we hope for a swift recovery for all those who have been injured."

On their part, Nigeria National League side, Ekiti United called for a thorough investigation and prosecution of the perpetrators adding that the safety of the team should be a top priority. 

"Ekiti United Football Club is deeply shocked and saddened by the reported attack on the Sunshine Stars team bus along the Ore-Benin Expressway. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by this terrible incident, especially the ball boy and team manager who were seriously injured.

"We strongly condemn such acts of violence and we stand in solidarity with Sunshine Stars during this difficult time. The safety and well-being of players, staff, and officials should always be a top priority, and we hope for a swift and thorough investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice."

The Vice chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Lobi Stars Football Club of Makurdi, Dominic Iorfa, has equally condemned the attack on players and officials of Sunshine Stars.

Iorfa described the attack as barbaric and called on security agencies to fish out the perpetrators and bring them to face justice. 

He sympathized with the management, players, and staff of Sunshine Football Club of Akure and wished those who sustained injuries a quick recovery. 

Meanwhile, football enthusiasts and fans within and outside the country have continued to express displeasure over the ugly incident while calling for appropriate measures to avert such occurrences shortly.